雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第26部分

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　　Ocean　into　which　falls　all　that　the　law　lets　slip！　Disastrous　absence　of　help！
　　Oh；　moral　death！
　　The　sea　is　the　inexorable　social　night　into　which　the　penal　laws　fling　their　condemned。
　　The　sea　is　the　immensity　of　wretchedness。
　　The　soul；　going　down　stream　in　this　gulf；　may　bee　a　corpse。　Who　shall　resuscitate　it？


BOOK　SECONDTHE　FALL
CHAPTER　IX　
　　NEW　TROUBLES
　　　When　the　hour　came　for　him　to　take　his　departure　from　the　galleys；　when　Jean　Valjean　heard　in　his　ear　the　strange　words；　Thou　art　free！　the　moment　seemed　improbable　and　unprecedented；　a　ray　of　vivid　light；　a　ray　of　the　true　light　of　the　living；　suddenly　penetrated　within　him。　But　it　was　not　long　before　this　ray　paled。
　　Jean　Valjean　had　been　dazzled　by　the　idea　of　liberty。
　　He　had　believed　in　a　new　life。　He　very　speedily　perceived　what　sort　of　liberty　it　is　to　which　a　yellow　passport　is　provided。
　　And　this　was　enpassed　with　much　bitterness。
　　He　had　calculated　that　his　earnings；　during　his　sojourn　in　the　galleys；　ought　to　amount　to　a　hundred　and　seventy…one　francs。
　　It　is　but　just　to　add　that　he　had　forgotten　to　include　in　his　calculations　the　forced　repose　of　Sundays　and　festival　days　during　nineteen　years；　which　entailed　a　diminution　of　about　eighty　francs。
　　At　all　events；　his　hoard　had　been　reduced　by　various　local　levies　to　the　sum　of　one　hundred　and　nine　francs　fifteen　sous；　which　had　been　counted　out　to　him　on　his　departure。　He　had　understood　nothing　of　this；　and　had　thought　himself　wronged。　Let　us　say　the　wordrobbed。
　　On　the　day　following　his　liberation；　he　saw；　at　Grasse；　in　front　of　an　orange…flower　distillery；　some　men　engaged　in　unloading　bales。　He　offered　his　services。
　　Business　was　pressing；　they　were　accepted。　He　set　to　work。
　　He　was　intelligent；　robust；　adroit；　he　did　his　best；　the　master　seemed　pleased。
　　While　he　was　at　work；　a　gendarme　passed；　observed　him；　and　demanded　his　papers。
　　It　was　necessary　to　show　him　the　yellow　passport。
　　That　done；　Jean　Valjean　resumed　his　labor。　A　little　while　before　he　had　questioned　one　of　the　workmen　as　to　the　amount　which　they　earned　each　day　at　this　occupation；　he　had　been　told　thirty　sous。
　　When　evening　arrived；　as　he　was　forced　to　set　out　again　on　the　following　day；　he　presented　himself　to　the　owner　of　the　distillery　and　requested　to　be　paid。
　　The　owner　did　not　utter　a　word；　but　handed　him　fifteen　sous。
　　He　objected。　He　was　told；　〃That　is　enough　for　thee。〃
　　He　persisted。
　　The　master　looked　him　straight　between　the　eyes；　and　said　to　him　〃Beware　of　the　prison。〃
　　There；　again；　he　considered　that　he　had　been　robbed。
　　Society；　the　State；　by　diminishing　his　hoard；　had　robbed　him　wholesale。　Now　it　was　the　individual　who　was　robbing　him　at　retail。
　　Liberation　is　not　deliverance。
　　One　gets　free　from　the　galleys；　but　not　from　the　sentence。
　　That　is　what　happened　to　him　at　Grasse。
　　We　have　seen　in　what　manner　he　was　received　at　D


BOOK　SECONDTHE　FALL
CHAPTER　X　
　　THE　MAN　AROUSED
　　　As　the　Cathedral　clock　struck　two　in　the　morning；　Jean　Valjean　awoke。
　　What　woke　him　was　that　his　bed　was　too　good。
　　It　was　nearly　twenty　years　since　he　had　slept　in　a　bed；　and；　although　he　had　not　undressed；　the　sensation　was　too　novel　not　to　disturb　his　slumbers。
　　He　had　slept　more　than　four　hours。
　　His　fatigue　had　passed　away。　He　was　accustomed　not　to　devote　many　hours　to　repose。
　　He　opened　his　eyes　and　stared　into　the　gloom　which　surrounded　him；　then　he　closed　them　again；　with　the　intention　of　going　to　sleep　once　more。
　　When　many　varied　sensations　have　agitated　the　day；　when　various　matters　preoccupy　the　mind；　one　falls　asleep　once；　but　not　a　second　time。　Sleep　es　more　easily　than　it　returns。
　　This　is　what　happened　to　Jean　Valjean。
　　He　could　not　get　to　sleep　again；　and　he　fell　to　thinking。
　　He　was　at　one　of　those　moments　when　the　thoughts　which　one　has　in　one's　mind　are　troubled。
　　There　was　a　sort　of　dark　confusion　in　his　brain。　His　memories　of　the　olden　time　and　of　the　immediate　present　floated　there　pell…mell　and　mingled　confusedly；　losing　their　proper　forms；　being　disproportionately　large；　then　suddenly　disappearing；　as　in　a　muddy　and　perturbed　pool。
　　Many　thoughts　occurred　to　him；　but　there　was　one　which　kept　constantly　presenting　itself　afresh；　and　which　drove　away　all　others。
　　We　will　mention　this　thought　at　once：　he　had　observed　the　six　sets　of　silver　forks　and　spoons　and　the　ladle　which　Madame　Magloire　had　placed　on　the　table。
　　Those　six　sets　of　silver　haunted　him。They　were　there。A　few　paces　distant。Just　as　he　was　traversing　the　adjoining　room　to　reach　the　one　in　which　he　then　was；　the　old　servant…woman　had　been　in　the　act　of　placing　them　in　a　little　cupboard　near　the　head　of　the　bed。　He　had　taken　careful　note　of　this　cupboard。On　the　right；　as　you　entered　from　the　dining…room。They　were　solid。And　old　silver。　From　the　ladle　one　could　get　at　least　two　hundred　francs。　Double　what　he　had　earned　in　nineteen　years。It　is　true　that　he　would　have　earned　more　if　〃the　administration　had　not　robbed　him。〃
　　His　mind　wavered　for　a　whole　hour　in　fluctuations　with　which　there　was　certainly　mingled　some　struggle。
　　Three　o'clock　struck。
　　He　opened　his　eyes　again；　drew　himself　up　abruptly　into　a　sitting　posture；　stretched　out　his　arm　and　felt　of　his　knapsack；　which　he　had　thrown　down　on　a　corner　of　the　alcove；　then　he　hung　his　legs　over　the　edge　of　the　bed；　and　placed　his　feet　on　the　floor；　and　thus　found　himself；　almost　without　knowing　it；　seated　on　his　bed。
　　He　remained　for　a　time　thoughtfully　in　this　attitude；　which　would　have　been　suggestive　of　something　sinister　for　any　one　who　had　seen　him　thus　in　the　dark；　the　only　person　awake　in　that　house　where　all　were　sleeping。
　　All　of　a　sudden　he　stooped　down；　removed　his　shoes　and　placed　them　softly　on　the　mat　beside　the　bed；　then　he　resumed　his　thoughtful　attitude；　and　became　motionless　once　more。
　　Throughout　this　hideous　meditation；　the　thoughts　which　we　have　above　indicated　moved　incessantly　through　his　brain；　entered；　withdrew；　re…entered；　and　in　a　manner　oppressed　him；　and　then　he　thought；　also；　without　knowing　why；　and　with　the　mechanical　persistence　of　revery；　of　a　convict　named　Brevet；　whom　he　had　known　in　the　galleys；　and　whose　trousers　had　been　upheld　by　a　single　suspender　of　knitted　cotton。　The　checkered　pattern　of　that　suspender　recurred　incessantly　to　his　mind。
　　He　remained　in　this　situation；　and　would　have　so　remained　indefinitely；　even　until　daybreak；　had　not　the　clock　struck　onethe　half　or　quarter　hour。
　　It　seemed　to　him　that　that　stroke　said　to　him；　〃e　on！〃
　　He　rose　to　his　feet；　hesitated　still　another　moment；　and　listened；　all　was　quiet　in　the　house；　then　he　walked　straight　ahead；　with　short　steps；　to　the　window；　of　which　he　caught　a　glimpse。　The　night　was　not　very　dark；　there　was　a　full　moon；　across　which　coursed　large　clouds　driven　by　the　wind。
　　This　created；　outdoors；　alternate　shadow　and　gleams　of　light；　eclipses；　then　bright　openings　of　the　clouds；　and　indoors　a　sort　of　twilight。
　　This　twilight；　sufficient　to　enable　a　person　to　see　his　way；　intermittent　on　account　of　the　clouds；　resembled　the　sort　of　livid　light　which　falls　through　an　air…hole　in　a　cellar；　before　which　the　passersby　e　and　go。
　　On　arriving　at　the　window；　Jean　Valjean　examined　it。　It　had　no　grating；　it　opened　in　the　garden　and　was　fastened；　according　to　the　fashion　of　the　country；　only　by　a　small　pin。　He　opened　it；　but　as　a　rush　of　cold　and　piercing　air　penetrated　the　room　abruptly；　he　closed　it　again　immediately。
　　He　scrutinized　the　garden　with　that　attentive　gaze　which　studies　rather　than　looks。　The　garden　was　enclosed　by　a　tolerably　low　white　wall；　easy　to　climb。　Far　away；　at　the　extremity；　he　perceived　tops　of　trees；　spaced　at　regular　intervals；　which　indicated　that　the　wall　separated　the　garden　from　an　avenue　or　lane　planted　with　trees。
　　Having　taken　this　survey；　he　executed　a　movement　like　that　of　a　man　who　has　made　up　his　mind；　strode　to　his　alcove；　grasped　his　knapsack；　opened　it；　fumbled　in　it；　pulled　out　of　it　something　which　he　placed　on　the　bed；　put　his　shoes　into　one　of　his　pockets；　shut　the　whole　thing　up　again；　threw　the　knapsack　on　his　shoulders；　put　on　his　cap；　drew　the　visor　down　over　his　eyes；　felt　for　his　cudgel；　went　and　placed　it　in　the　angle　of　the　window；　then　returned　to　the　bed；　and　resolutely　seized　the　object　which　he　had　deposited　there。　It　resembled　a　short　bar　of　iron；　pointed　like　a　pike　at　one　end。　It　would　have　been　difficult　to　distinguish　in　that　darkness　for　what　employment　that　bit　of　iron　could　have　been　designed。　Perhaps　it　was　a　lever；　possibly　it　was　a　club。
　　In　the　daytime　it　would　have　been　possible　to　recognize　it　as　nothing　more　than　a　miner's　candlestick。
　　Convicts　were；　at　that　period；　sometimes　employed　in　quarrying　stone　from　the　lofty　hills　which　environ　Toulon；　and　it　was　not　rare　for　them　to　have　miners'　tools　at　their　mand。
　　These　miners'　candlesticks　are　of　massive　iron；　terminated　at　the　lower　extremity　by　a　point；　by　means　of　which　they　are　stuck　into　the　rock。
　　He　took　the　candlestick　in　his　right　hand；　holding　his　breath　and